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American Families United Act
12/13/2023, 8:33 AM
Summary of Bill HR 1698
The main provisions of the American Families United Act include allowing certain individuals who are in the United States illegally to apply for legal status if they have family members who are US citizens or legal residents. This would provide a pathway to citizenship for these individuals and help keep families together.
Additionally, the bill aims to streamline the immigration process for families by reducing wait times and bureaucratic hurdles. It also includes provisions to protect the rights of children who are caught up in the immigration system, ensuring that they are not unnecessarily separated from their parents. Overall, the American Families United Act seeks to address the humanitarian concerns surrounding family separation and provide a more compassionate and efficient immigration system. It is currently being debated in Congress and has garnered support from both Democrats and Republicans.
Congressional Summary of HR 1698
American Families United Act
This bill authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or the Department of Justice (DOJ) to exercise discretion in certain immigration cases.
Under this bill, DOJ or DHS may, on a case-by-case basis, exercise discretion by declining to remove a non-U.S. national (alien under federal law) or bar an alien from entering the United States to prevent hardship for the alien's U.S. citizen spouse, parent, or child. This discretion may also be exercised if the alien is the spouse or child of a deceased U.S. citizen.
For the purposes of this bill, it shall be presumed that family separation constitutes hardship.
However, DOJ or DHS may not exercise this discretion if the alien is removable or inadmissible due to certain grounds, including specified crime- and security-related grounds.
This exercise of discretion may be applied to an alien who was ordered removed or denied entry prior to this bill's enactment if the alien files a motion to reopen or reconsider within two years of this bill's enactment.
